Agenda - 12-14-2010 - 7f - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 but it has to work first for the residents of Orange County. The financial model does not have much value unless the associated project works for all of Orange County, not only a portion of it. The current transit plan may not do enough for the entire County. The majority of funds are dedicated to light rail for a geographically small section of Orange County. It is hard to justify something that will happen in 2022, especially in light of the recent elections and lack of state and federal funding. Light rail segments do not connect as the regional route system. In addition, the need for bus service hours was identified at double the amount of available resources. The financial model allocates 34,000 service hours towards an Orange County Bus Plan while the need is 75,000. The BOCC also stated that Orange County should not abandon the long-term light rail plan. A lot of work has been done and the next election could result in funding opportunities for transit. However, plan phasing can be changed to respond to the realities of Orange. County. Action Item: Work on a plan that represents the interests of the entire County. Promote geographic equity of funds distribution. 7. Proposed Program Schedule Discussion: The BOCC was concerned with the speed of the plan; and rushed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) process in the interest of the regional plan. Also, while there is a lot of interest in the regional planning process, not everyone is in agreement at this point. According to the BOCC, Orange County needs to do comprehensive planning at the County level because TRIP is a complex project and it cannot be rushed. Action Item: Point taken and understood. The staff will communicate this concern to TRTP stakeholders. 8. Vehicle Registration Fee Discussion: The Board requested more information on enacting a $7 vehicle registration fee. Answer. The enactment of the additional vehicle registration fee does not require a referendum. In order to enact the fee, the BOCC would need to pass a resolution. There are various conditions associated with enacting, collecting and distributing the fee. These conditions are summarized in Attachment 1. 9. Fare System Discussion: An issue of fares needs to be addressed. Chapel Hill Transit is a fare-free system. Route 420, which runs between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill, is not fare free. Orange County cannot have a transit system where it is fare-free for residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, while others have to pay fares. At the same time, the County cannot sustain a 100% fare-free model.